Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Bessy Bus Gets New Sponsor--Citgo

How do you promote vision care? Ask an individual to read. So get behind a literacy program in your area or sponsor Bess.  An oil company did.

CITGO Petroleum Corporation will sponsor the award-winning Bess the Book Bus's "2011 Success in Sight Tour." Bess, a Tampa-based literarcy program, will visit more than 44 states this year, and organizers anticipate they will reach as many as 20,000 families and will donate 100,000 new books to children. Last year it donated 60,000 books to 10,000 families.

"Everyone at CITGO is extremely excited to continue our sponsorship of Bess the Book Bus," said Gustavo Velasquez, vice president of supply and marketing with CITGO. "We saw the great work that Bess did with a year's supply of CITGO fuel in our 2009 Fueling Good campaign," said Gustavo Velasquez, CITGO's vice president of supply and marketing. :We look forward to making a positive impact on nationwide literacy levels."

Bess the Book Bus, founded in 2002 by Jennifer E. Frances to promote literacy and provide children with access to new books, has grown into an innovative, mobile national literacy initiatives. Frances and two volunteers kicked off  a 180-day nationwide tour four days ago. They will travel through 44 states and read to thousands of children, and after each read-aloud, Frances invites  children onto the bus where they can select a new book. Additional support for the tour is being provided by Transitions Optical and VSP Vision Care, Townsend Press, Capstone Publishers, and Candlewick Press. For updates on Bess the Book Bus, visit www.Facebook.com/CITGOFuelingGood or www.Bessthebookbus.org.

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